Omaha dentist heads credentialing Board for Sleep Medicine
Omaha, NE, USA – Dr. Roger Roubal is well-known in Omaha and respected for his expertise by patients and colleagues. But he is also well-known across the country and receives an equal level of respect from colleagues from coast to coast. In recognition of the esteem in which he is held, Dr. Roubal was named president of the American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine (ABCDSM).
The ABCDSM oversees the credentialing of candidates who want to demonstrate their proficiency in treating sleep apnoea using oral appliances and other dental techniques. Although it does not confer the title of “specialist” in the eyes of the American Dental Association (the ADA does not recognise “sleep dentist” as a speciality), certification by the ABCDSM is one of the most prestigious and sought-after credentials in dental sleep medicine. It shows that a dentist is educated in the treatment of snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), as well as other forms of sleep disordered breathing (SDB).
The ABCDSM traces its origins back to the American Board of Craniofacial Pain (ABCP). In the 1990s, several ABCP diplomates and members of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (AACP) began exploring the complex interrelationship between sleep disorders, craniofacial pain and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Initially, the certification in Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine was offered by the ABCP, but as interest in sleep apnoea and its treatment have grown, it became clear that a separate board was necessary, and the ABCDSM was formed.
“What excites me most about this position,” says Dr. Roubal, “is that it gives me the opportunity to help shape the next generation of sleep dentists. Dentists are uniquely qualified to provide treatment for sleep apnoea, which is really a craniofacial disorder as much as a respiratory one.”
